St Dominics Newcastle players Andiswa Mhlungu (Vice Captain), Sanri van Rhyn (Vice Captain), Ciana Captain (Captain). Photo by Ansie Joubert
 

The seventh SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge heads north to St Dominics Newcastle for the Northern KZN Regional on Saturday 6 May. 

 Ten schools will be eagerly stepping onto the St Dominics' astro. The format for the day will see the teams divided into two pools. Pool A sees Ferrum High School; Sarel Cilliers High School; Vryheid Landbou; Newcastle High School and Pongola Akademie. Joining host school, St Dominic’s in Pool B are Dundee High School; Utrecht High School; Vryheid High School and Amajuba High School.
 
All games will run one way for 18 minutes, with a 2 minute change over for the teams between games. The overall log will be calculated with a win earning the victorious team 4 points; a draw with goals, 2 points; a goalless draw only a single point and a loss tallying up zero points.
 
At the end of the 20 pool games, the two log leaders from Pool A and Pool B will meet in a cross-pool playoff, followed by the regional decider revealing who will represent the area at the illustrious wrap up of the ten regionals that took place around KZN, at the Grand Finals that is being held in July at St Mary’s DSG, Kloof.
 
Three teams have hoisted the trophy in this area, of the three, two are back in the hopes of reclaiming the title. Ferrum High School have dominated this area with ten appearances at the Grand Finals since the tournament commenced in 2011. Sarel Cilliers travelled down to Durban for the 2016 main event. 
 
The successful champs from the Northern KZN Regional will join six other teams that have already reserved their ticket to the distinguished conclusion, they are Danville Park Girls’ High School (DBN North Regional), St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional), Kuswag Hoërskool (Durban South Regional) and Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional); The Wykeham Collegiate (Pietermaritzburg North Regional) and Suid Natal Hoërskool (Sisonke and uGu Regional).
 
The eighth tournament heads to Wartburg Kirchdorf School on Saturday 13 May for the uMvoti and oThukela Regional. The penultimate challenge gets rolling at Epworth School on Sunday 14 May for the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional. And the final fixture, Grantleigh College rounds off the 2023 Challenge with teams from around Richards Bay and Empangeni partaking in the Northern KZN Coastal Regional on Saturday 20 May. 

For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page or follow on Instagram.
 
All games will be livestreamed on SuperSport Schools website or their mobile app.